This little picture book is the perfect example of how much fun nonfiction books for kids are nowadays. The talented Gene Barretta, who used to animate for Sesame Street, is the author and illustrator of Now & Ben. Barretta uses a compare & contrast structure to highlight Ben Franklin’s original inventions and how those inventions are still used today, and it is absolutely delightful!
It’s history and science, and it gives little ones the perfect way to see how one person can change the world.
Sebastian was ten when he first devoured The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The moment he finished it, he was ready to jump into the next one in the series, The Runaway King. Nielsen’s entire Ascendance series is an exciting, high-stakes ride with lots of twists and turns, court intrigue, spies, wars, friendship, betrayal, and fun, witty characters.
What started as a trilogy is now a series of 5, with the final volume called The Shattered Castle. These were published through Scholastic and at one time, there were rumors of The False Prince being made into a movie. We’re still hoping for that around here!
I first read This Is Not My Hat during Covid after an online SCBWI summer conference where I was able to learn from many exceptional children’s authors, including Jon Klassen. He gave a presentation, alongside Mac Barnett, on their successful collaborations on picture books. They emphasized that with picture books, it adds so much to the story when the pictures tell a whole different narrative than the words. At the time, I had never thought about it that way! So simple and brilliant!
This Caldecott-winning book by Klassen is the perfect example. He is the author and illustrator for this story where a little fish tells the reader how he stole a big fish’s hat and has a plan to get away with it! Through tiny details in the illustrations, like the big fish narrowing his eyes, you deduce that things are not quite the way that the little fish thinks they are.
I laughed out loud at the twist at the end, and I hope you do, too! Happy reading!
I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of time travel and until scientists figure that out, historical fiction is as close as it gets! This genre is an awesome way for adults and curious kids alike to not only learn about real events in history, but to fully immerse themselves in the experiences and emotions of the time.
The moment I started reading Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey, my newly minted goal to get more sleep flew right out the window! I absolutely could not put it down! This book immediately transports you back in time to WWII America and into the lives of the future victims of the Japanese internment camps.
Huey’s evocative prose is stunning, and she handles the delicate topics of race, prejudice, and aggression with care and sensitivity. Her characters and their relationships are complex and fully-developed.
This book is a definite must-read for teenagers and adults. When my daughter read it, it instantly became her very favorite book!
I am a huge fan of Jason Chin! He is a such a talented author/illustrator, and I saved his Grand Canyon picture book to give to my boys when we could actually go there. When the day finally came, it did not disappoint! I hadn’t been to the Grand Canyon since I was a child, and I was awestruck—the scale and beauty just cannot be captured in photos.
Jason Chin’s illustrations come close though! My boys poured over this book on the way there, and then dazzled us all with their knowledge of how the canyon was formed, what creatures lived there long ago, and what the various layers of rock signified. It made the experience all the richer!
A clever technique Chin uses in this book to make it fun for kids is the unspoken narrative he tells in the illustrations of a father and daughter who are hiking and camping in the canyon. Whenever her father’s back is turned, she finds a clue to the Grand Canyon’s past, like a fossil. The book uses cutouts for these, and when you turn the page, you see what the canyon might of looked like when that fossil was formed. It’s a lot of fun and really brings home the history and geology of such an incredible place.
The focus of this blog is shifting! While I will still occasionally share writerly updates, mostly I will be sharing recommendations for fabulous children’s books that spark wonder and help curious kids learn about the world! So, welcome to BOOKS FOR CURIOUS KIDS!
Today I want to talk about Breakout by Kate Messner. This is a contemporary middle grade fiction novel, which means that while it is a made up story, it takes place during modern day times and it is geared toward readers, ages 9-14.
The fun part of this one is that the entire story is told through letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics that the kids are gathering for a time capsule project. You would think that the story would come across disjointed, but it’s cleverly done and the character development and narrative tension build beautifully.
The book’s plot centers on how a community changes when two convicts escape prison. The three main characters, Nora, Lizzie, and Elidee, see first hand how fear can change people in surprising ways. Messner handles heavy topics like criminal justice and racial bias with grace and sensitivity and at an age-appropriate level for her audience.
If you’re interested in a deep dive of how this book came together, check out Messner’s blog series, “Countdown to Breakout.” She has 23 blog entries on her research and writing process, and it adds a lot to the story to know how it all came together!
Sometimes life takes over despite our best intentions. To say the last few months have been hard would be a massive understatement–so much so, that I have sorely neglected this blog! Thanks to a pitch I made at the ANWA conference, I’m happy to report that I’ve signed with Literary Agent Extraordinaire Lynnette Novak! I’m thrilled to be working with her!! She is beyond lovely and super on top of things, so stay tuned for all my fabulous upcoming publishing deal announcements! 🙂
I don’t remember ever meeting an author as a child. No visits to my elementary school, or even standing in line at a bookstore to get a signature. So, even though books were always my passion, I never considered becoming an author a legitimate career path. I majored in professional writing at college, but still only dabbled from time to time in fiction.
Fast forward through a job as a technical writer at IBM, starting a family, and working in tourism communications. It wasn’t until years later that I gathered enough courage to show up at a writing conference without knowing a single soul. My mind was blown and my heart filled by being around such like-minded souls–sensitive people who love story and language and all the writerly things.
I joined this community whole-heartedly and continue to be so grateful for the guidance and friendships I’ve found along the way. Becoming an author is not an easy journey, and finding those who truly understand and encourage is crucial.
This weekend I was able to attend ANWA 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. It was my second time at this conference, and I loved it just as much. I won a couple more B.O.B. writing contests, and I met some wonderful literary agents who were interested in my work.
The theme from the keynote speaker, Sara B. Larson, was “You were made to create.” I truly believe that. I came home from the conference motivated and inspired! I’m writing 1-2k words each day, and it feels so good.
It’s that time of year again–Storystorm time! I love brainstorming new writing ideas, and Tara Lazar’s event makes it easy with its daily inspiration. There’s something so refreshing about a good brain dump, plus there’s prizes! Jump over to this post to read about when I first discovered Storystorm.
Today, my 9-year-old son snuggled up to me, wanting to know what I was working on. I read him my Storystorm ideas, and he promptly shared his own ideas to add to the list. My 12-year-old overheard us and wanted to add an idea as well, only it was too complicated to tell me, so he took my laptop and typed up a couple of paragraphs, outlining a super cool underwater fantasy world.
And that’s what I love most about creativity–it’s contagious! As soon as we open our minds to new ideas, they’re everywhere. Many people are eager to share “bestselling” book ideas with authors, but what they don’t realize is that that’s the easy part. Most creatives are absolutely inundated with their own ideas. It’s the careful selection, cultivation, and follow-through that’s the tricky part.
But January is the perfect time to set aside the hard finishing parts of writing for a few minutes each day and frolic among my own wild and beautiful ideas. I’ve got the whole year ahead of me, and brand-new, shiny resolutions to get me there. Here’s to 2023!
Writers, and all creatives really, are subject to tremendous self-doubt. One minute you’re high as a kite, feeling like your words will delight and inspire the world, and the next minute like they need to be ground to a fine dust and flushed down the toilet.
So it was both validating and humbling to be awarded 5 Beginning of Book Awards at ANWA 2022. ANWA stands for American Night Writer’s Association. It was the first time I’ve attended this organization’s conference, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Turns out, they welcomed me with open arms, and teased me mercilessly for winning so many awards.
This last year has been one of transition for me personally, involving a big move across the country, and lots of changes in our family. ANWA was like a reset for me on my writing journey, giving me the kick in the butt I needed to dig back in.
While I was at the conference, I pitched my sci-fi novel to an editor of a big publishing house, and she wants to take a look! So, I’m hurrying to polish it up a bit before I send it off. I also received really insightful feedback from the contest judges on my B.O.B. entries. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there are no limits on improvement. One’s creative work can always get better.
Books for Curious Kids 